1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an information providing method and a message delivery method in a mobile broadcast system. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and system for delivering notification event/notification message for providing various guide information to a service guide source for service guide generation at a mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
The mobile communication market continuously requires creation of new services through recombination or integration of the existing technologies. Current development of communication and broadcast technologies has allowed conventional broadcasting systems and mobile communication systems to provide broadcast services through portable terminals (or mobile terminals), such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Due to latent and actual market needs and increasing user demand for multimedia services, service providers' intended strategies for providing new services such as broadcast service in addition to the existing voice service, and the identified interests of Information Technology (IT) companies which are bolstering their mobile communication businesses to meet the user's demands, convergence of mobile communication service and Internet Protocol (IP) has become a priority in the development of next generation mobile communication technologies.
Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), a group for studying the standard for interworking between individual mobile solutions, serves to define various application standards for mobile games and Internet services. Of the OMA working groups, Open Mobile Alliance Browser and Content Mobile Broadcast Sub Working Group (OMA BAC BCAST) is researching on the technology for providing broadcast services using mobile terminals. A brief description will now be made of the Mobile Broadcast (BCAST) system which is under discussion in OMA.
In the mobile broadcast system, a mobile terminal desiring to receive a broadcast service should receive so-called service guide information containing description information for the service itself, charging information for the service, and information on a receiving method for the service. The mobile terminal receives the corresponding service using the service guide information. Although a description of the conventional broadcast service method will be described with reference to the BCAST system as an example of a mobile broadcast system using a service guide, the present invention is not limited to the BCAST system.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary architecture of a general mobile broadcast system that delivers a service guide to a mobile terminal. Table 1 and Table 2 below show interfaces between constituent elements (e.g., logical entities) of FIG. 1.
TABLE 1NameDescriptionSG1 (103)Server-to-server communications for delivering content attributessuch as description information, location information, target terminalcapabilities, target user profile, and so on, either in the form of BCASTservice guide fragments or in a proprietary format.SG2 (106)Server-to-server communications for delivering BCAST serviceattributes such as service/content description information, schedulinginformation, location information, target terminal capabilities, targetuser profile, and so on, in the form of BCAST service guide fragments.SG-B1Server-to-server communications for either delivering BDS specific(116)attributes from Broadcast Distribution System (BDS) to BCASTService Guide Adaptation function, to assist Service Guide adaptationto specific BDS, or to deliver BCAST Service Guide attributes to BDS forBDS specific adaptation and distribution.SG4 (112)Server-to-server communications for delivering provisioninginformation, purchase information, subscription information,promotional information, and so on, in the form of BCAST service guidefragments.SG5 (117)Delivery of BCAST Service Guide through Broadcast Channel, overIP.SG6 (118)Delivery of BCAST Service Guide through Interaction Channel.Interactive access to retrieve Service Guide or additional information related toService Guide, for example, by HTTP, SMS, or MMS.
TABLE 2NameDescriptionX-1Reference Point between BDS Service Distribution and BDS.(124)X-2Reference Point between BDS Service Distribution and Interaction(125)Network.X-3Reference Point between BDS and Terminal.(126)X-4Reference Point between BDS Service Distribution and Terminal(127)over Broadcast Channel.X-5Reference Point between BDS Service Distribution and Terminal(128)over Interaction Channel.X-6Reference Point between Interaction Network and Terminal.(129)
Referring to FIG. 1, the Content Creation (CC) block 101 represents a content creator or content provider that is a provider of Broadcast service (BCAST), and the BCAST service can include the conventional audio/video broadcast service, music/data file download service, and so on. The Content Creation 101, including a Service Guide Content Creation Source (SGCCS) 102, delivers content information necessary for creation of a service guide for the BCAST service, capability information of mobile terminals, user profile, and content time information to a Service Guide Application Source (SGAS) 105 of a BCAST Service Application (BSA) block 104 through the SG1 interface 103 of Table 1.
The BCAST Service Application block 104 processes data of the BCAST service provided from the Content Creation block 101 in the form appropriate for a BCAST network, making BCAST service data. In addition, the BCAST service Application block 104 generates standardized metadata necessary for mobile broadcast guide. The SGAS 105 delivers various sources necessary for generation of a service guide, such as detailed service/content information, scheduling information, and location information, including the information provided from the SGCCS 102, to a Service Guide Generation (SG-G) 109 in a BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation (BSD/A) block 108 via the SG2 interface 106.
The BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation block 108 has a function of setting up a bearer over which it will deliver the BCAST service data provided from the BCAST Service Application block 104, a function of determining transmission scheduling of the BCAST service, and a function of creating mobile broadcast guide information. The BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation block 108 is connected to a Broadcast Distribution System (BDS) 122, which is a network for transmitting BCAST service data, and an Interaction Network 123 supporting interactive communication.
The service guide generated by the SG-G 109 is delivered to a Terminal 119 via an SG Distribution (SG-D) 110 and the SG5 interface 117. If the service guide is delivered via the BDS 122 or the Interaction Network 123 supporting interactive communication, or if there is a need for matching with the corresponding system or network, the service guide generated by the SG-G 109 is matched in an SG Adaptation (SG-A) 111 and then delivered to the SG-D 110, or is delivered to a BDS Service Distribution block 121 via the SG-B1 interface 116.
A BCAST Subscription Management block 113 manages subscription information and service provisioning information for receipt of BCAST service, and device information for a terminal receiving BCAST service. A Service Guide Subscription Source (SGSS) 114 in the BCAST Subscription Management block 113 delivers sources related to service guide generation, subscription and provisioning, and such sources as purchase information and publicity-related information to the SG-G 109 that generates the service guide, via the SG4 interface 112.
The BDS Service Distribution block 121 serves to distribute all received BCAST services through a broadcast channel or an interaction channel, and is an entity that can either exist or not exist according to type of the BDS 122. The BDS 122 is a network that transmits BCAST service, and can be a broadcast network such as Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H), 3GPP-based Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Services (MBMS), 3GPP2-based Broadcast and Multicast Services (BCMCS). The Interaction Network 123 transmits BCAST service on a point-to-point basis, or interactively exchanges control information and additional information related to reception of the BCAST service, and can be, for example, the existing cellular network.
The Terminal 119 is a terminal capable of receiving the BCAST service via an Ai interface 130, and can be connected to the cellular network according to terminal capability. The Terminal 119, including a Service Guide Client (SG-C) 120, receives the service guide delivered via the SG5 interface 117 or receives the notification message delivered via the SG6 interface 118, thereby performing an appropriate operation for receipt of the BCAST service.
Table 3 to Table 5 below give a brief description of the key elements (e.g., logical entities) of FIG. 1 defined in the BCAST service standard.
TABLE 3NameDescriptionContentService Guide Content Creation Source (SGCCS) may provideCrea-contents and attributes such as content description information,tiontarget terminal capabilities, target user profile, content timing(101)information, and so on, and sends them over SG1 in the form ofstandardized BCAST Service Guide fragments, or in aproprietary format.BCASTService Guide Application Source (SGAS) providesServiceservice/content description information, schedulingAppli-information, location information, target terminal capabilities,cationtarget user profile, and so on, and sends them over SG2 in the(104)form of standardized BCAST Service Guide fragments.BCASTService Guide Subscription Source (SGSS) providesSub-provisioning information, purchase information, subscriptionscrip-information, promotional information, and so on, and sendstionthem over SG4 in the form of Service Guide fragments.Man-age-ment(113)
TABLE 4NameDescriptionServiceSG-G in the network is responsible for receiving Service GuideGuidefragments from various sources such as SGCCS, SGAS, SGSSGener-over SG-2 and SG-4 interfaces. SG-G assembles the fragmentsationsuch as services and content access information, according to a(SG-G)standardized schema, and generates Service Guide which is sent(109)to Service Guide Distribution (SG-D) for transmission. Beforetransmission, it is optionally adapted in the Service GuideAdaptation Function (SG-A) 111 to suit a specific BDS.ServiceSG-C in the terminal is responsible for receiving the ServiceGuideGuide information from the underlying BDS, and making theClientService Guide available to the mobile terminal. The SG-CFunc-obtains specific Service Guide information. It may filter it totionmatch the terminal specified criteria (for example, location, user(SG-C)profile, terminal capabilities), or it simply obtains all available(120)Service Guide information. Commonly, the user may view theService Guide information in a menu, list or tabular format. SG-C may send a request to the network through SG-6 to obtainspecific Service Guide information, or the whole Service Guide.
TABLE 5NameDescriptionServiceSG-D generates an IP flow to transmit Service Guide over theGuideSG5 interface and the broadcast channel to the SG-C. BeforeDistri-transmission, the SG-G may send Service Guide to ServicebutionGuide Adaptation (SG-A) to adapt the Service Guide to suit(SG-D)specific BDS, according to the BDS attributes sent by BDS(110)Service Distribution over SG-B1. The adaptation might result inmodification of Service Guide. Note that, for adaptationpurpose, the SG-A may also send the BCAST Service Guideattributes or BCAST Service Guide fragments over SG-B1 toBDS Service Distribution for adaptation, this adaptation withinBDS Service Distribution is out of the scope of BCAST. SG-Dmay also receive a request for Service Guide information, andsend the requested Service Guide information to the terminaldirectly through the interaction channel. SG-D also may filterService Guide information from SG-G based on End User'spre-specified profile. And SG-D may also send the ServiceGuide to the BDS, which modifies the Service Guide (e.g., byadding BDS specific information), and further distributes theService Guide to the SG-C in a BDS specific manner.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating notification architecture defined in BCAST service to deliver a notification message in the mobile broadcast system of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, a Content Creation (CC) block 201 is a provider of BCAST service, and the BCAST service can include the conventional audio/video broadcast service, music/data file download service, and so on. When there is a problem in providing BCAST service or there is a change in the BCAST service, the Content Creation block 201 notifies the change to a Notification Event Function (NTE) 202-1 located in a BCAST Service Application 202.
The BCAST Service Application 202 processes data of the BCAST service provided from the Content Creation block 201 in the form appropriate for a BCAST network, making BCAST service data, and generates standardized metadata necessary for mobile broadcast guide. In addition, the BCAST Service Application 202 notifies the change in the BCAST service provided from the Content Creation block 201 to a Notification Generation function (NTG) 204-1 located in a BCAST Subscription Management (BSM) 204.
A BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203 is responsible for setting up a bearer over which it will deliver the BCAST service data provided from the BCAST Service Application 202, determining transmission scheduling of the BCAST service, and generating mobile broadcast guide, and is connected to a Broadcast Distribution system (BDS) 206 capable of providing the BCAST service, and an Interaction Network 207 supporting interactive communication. In addition, the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203, including a Notification Distribution Adaptation function (NTDA) 203-1, receives the notification message from the BCAST Subscription Management 204 and delivers the notification message to one or a plurality of users via the BDS 206 or the Interaction Network 207.
The BCAST Subscription Management 204 manages subscription information for receipt of the BCAST service, service provisioning information, and device information for a device receiving the BCAST service. In particular, the BCAST Subscription Management 204, including the Notification Generation function 204-1, generates a notification message by receiving the information on a notification event from the Content Creation block 201 and the BDS 206, or generates a notification message for the BCAST service event.
A BDS Service Distribution 205 serves to distribute all received BCAST services through a broadcast channel or an interaction channel, and is an entity that can either exist or not exist according to type of the BDS 206.
The BDS 206 is a network that delivers BCAST service, and can be, for example, DVB-H, 3GPP-based MBMS, and 3GPP2-based BCMCS. In addition, when there is a change in delivering a particular BCAST service, the BDS 206 notifies the change to the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203 via an X-1 interface 231, or via an NT-B1 interface 224 if the BDS Service Distribution 205 exists.
The Interaction Network 207 delivers BCAST data on a point-to-point basis, or interactively exchanges control information and additional information related to reception of the BCAST service, and can be, for example, the existing cellular network.
A Terminal 208 is a terminal capable of receiving the BCAST service, and can be connected to the cellular network according to terminal capability. It is assumed herein that the Terminal 208 is a terminal capable of accessing the cellular network. The Terminal 208 performs an appropriate operation by receiving a notification message delivered via an NT-5 interface 225 by a Notification Client function (NTC) 208-1, or performs an appropriate operation by receiving a notification message delivered via an NT-6 interface 226.
A description will now be made of backend interfaces between the logical entities of FIG. 2.
An NT-1 interface 221, an interface between the Notification Event Function 202-1 located in the BCAST Service Application 202 and the Content Creation block 201, is used for delivering a notification event occurring in the Content Creation block 201 to the Notification Event Function 202-1.
An NT-3 interface 222, an interface between the Notification. Event Function 202-1 located in the BCAST Service Application block 202 and the Notification Generation function 204-1 in the BCAST Subscription Management 204, delivers information necessary for generation of a notification event or a notification message so that the Notification Generation function 204-1 can generate the notification message.
An NT-4 interface 223, an interface between the Notification Generation function 204-1 located in the BCAST Subscription Management 204 and the Notification Distribution Adaptation function 203-1 in the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203, is used for delivering the notification message generated in the Notification Generation function 204-1 to the Notification Distribution Adaptation function 203-1 so that it is delivered via the BDS 206 or the Interaction Network 207, or delivering the notification event occurred in the BDS 206 from the Notification Distribution Adaptation function 203-1 to the Notification Generation function 204-1.
An NT-5 interface 225 is an interface used when a notification message delivered from the Notification Distribution Adaptation function 203-1 in the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203 is directly delivered to the Terminal 208 through the broadcast channel. The NT-5 interface 225 is used for delivering a notification message to one or a plurality of terminals.
An NT-6 interface 226 is an interface used when a notification message delivered from the Notification Distribution Adaptation function 203-1 in the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203 is directly delivered to the Terminal 208 through the dedicated channel with the Terminal 208 via the Interaction Network 207 or through the broadcast channel provided in the Interaction Network 207. The NT6 interface 226 is used for delivering the notification message to one or a plurality of terminals.
An NT-B1 interface 224, an interface between the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203 and the BDS Service Distribution 205, is used for establishing a transmission path to be used in the BDS 206 by the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203, or a reception path of the notification event occurred in the BDS 206.
An X-1 interface 231 is an interface used for establishing a transmission path to be used in the BDS 206 by the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203 or a reception path of the notification event occurred in the BDS 206 when the BDS Service Distribution 205 does not exist. When the BDS Service Distribution 205 exists, the X-1 interface 231 is used as an interface between the BDS 206 and the BDS Service Distribution 205, for delivering the notification event occurred in the BDS 206.
An X-2 interface 232 is an interface used for establishing a transmission path to be used in the Interaction Network 207 by the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203 when the BDS Service Distribution 205 does not exist. When the BDS Service Distribution 205 exists, the X-2 interface 232 is used as an interface between the BDS 206 and the Interaction Network 207, for setting up a bearer over which the notification message will be transmitted in the Interaction Network 207.
An X-3 interface 233, an interface between the BDS 206 and the Terminal 208, is used for the BCAST service or all messages transmitted through the broadcast channel.
An X-4 interface 234 is a broadcast channel interface between the BDS Service Distribution 205 and the Terminal 208.
An X-5 interface 235 is an interaction channel interface between the BDS Service Distribution 205 and the Terminal 208.
An X-6 interface 236 is an interaction channel interface with which the Interaction Network 207 can transmit BCAST service-related control information.
The Notification Event Function 202-1 delivers the information necessary for generating a notification message to the Notification Generation function 204-1, and upon recognizing occurrence of a notification-required event (i.e. notification event), delivers information on the notification event to the Notification Generation function 204-1. The Notification Generation function 204-1 generates a notification message by receiving the notification event and the information necessary for generation of the notification message from the Notification Event Function 202-1, or generates a notification message using the notification event of the BDS 206 received through the Notification Distribution Adaptation function 203-1, and delivers the generated notification message to the Notification Distribution Adaptation function 203-1. The notification message can be generated (i) when there is a need to notify again start of the service, (ii) when there is a need to deliver a new mobile broadcast guide upon receipt of a notification indicating a change in the service information from the Content Creation block 201, and (iii) when a particular event occurs in the BDS 206.
The Notification Distribution Adaptation function 203-1 serves to deliver a notification message via the NT5 225 or the NT6 226, and upon receiving from the BDS 206 a notification indicating a change in a particular mobile broadcast service, for example, indicating adjustment of a data rate based on the wireless network environment or impossibility of the service, serves to deliver the corresponding notification event to the Notification Generation function 204-1 via the NT4 223.
FIG. 3 is a signaling diagram illustrating a message flow between logical entities for providing a service guide in a general mobile broadcast system.
Herein, reference numeral 301 indicates the SGCCS 102 in the Content Creator block 101, reference numeral 302 indicates the SGAS 105 in the BCAST Service Application block 104, reference numeral 303 indicates the SGSS 114 in the BCAST Subscription Management block 113, and reference numeral 304 indicates the SG-G/D/A 109, 110 and 111 in the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation block 108.
Referring to FIG. 3, in step 311, the SGCCS 301 delivers content information and attributes associated with the BCAST service to the SGAS 302. In step 312, the SGAS 302 delivers the broadcast content/service information and attributes to the SG-G/D/A 304 according to a BCAST format using the attributes provided from the SGCCS 301. In step 313, the SG-G/D/A 304 sends a request for provisioning-related information to the SGSS 303. In step 314, the SGSS 303 provides the requested provisioning-related information to the SG-G/D/A 304. In step 315, the SG-G/D/A 304 generates a service guide (SG).
FIG. 4 is a signaling diagram illustrating a message flow between logical entities for providing a notification message in a general mobile broadcast system.
Herein, reference numeral 401 indicates the Notification Event Function (NTE) 202-1 in the BCAST Service Application block 202, reference numeral 402 indicates the Notification Generation function (NTG) 204-1 in the BCAST Subscription Management block 204, and reference numeral 403 indicates the Notification Distribution Adaptation function (NTDA) 203-1 in the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation block 203.
Referring to FIG. 4, a notification event is generated in the NTE 401 or the NTDA 403 and then delivered to the NTG 402, or is generated in the BCAST Subscription Management block 204 or the BDS 206. That is, if a notification event occurs in the Content Creation block 201 or the BSA 202, the NTE 401 delivers in step 411 an Event notice to the NTG 402 in the BSM 204 through the NT3 interface 222. If the notification event has occurred in the BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation 203 or the BDS 206, the notification event information is delivered from the NTDA 403 to the NTG 402 via the NT4 interface 223 in step 412. The notification event can also be spontaneously generated in the BSM 204 and then delivered to the NTDA 403 via the NTG 402. In step 413, the NTG 402 spontaneously generates the notification event or receives the notification event via the NT3 222 or the NT4 223. In step 414, the NTG 402 generates a notification message. Thereafter, the NTG 402 delivers the notification message to the NTDA 403 via the NT4 interface 223 in step 415.
However, the conventional mobile broadcast system does not provide a method for generating a notification message for a notification event that occurred in the BSD/A or the BDS 206 and delivering a notification message generated for all notification events, or a method for sending a response upon receipt of the notification event/notification message.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method and system for delivering a notification event/notification message in a mobile broadcast system.